HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (TENNESSEE VALLEY LIVING) - Winter is here and it doesn’t seem to be doing our skin any favors.
If the cold and dry air is causing your skin to send out an SOS, our go-to dermatoloigst, Dr. Dendy Engelman, joined TVL to share some of her best tips.
Tip #1: Hydrate with hyaluronic acid! The combination of cold, drying winter wind, central heating (or car heaters) and low humidity combine into a ‘perfect storm’ of skin dehydration. When skin dehydration (or xerosis, to give it its proper name) occurs, it’s the result of the outer layers of your skin (the epidermis) retaining less water.
- Combat dehydrating by incorporating products that have hydrating ingredients like the Isdin Hyaluronic Concentrate. Formulated with hyaluronic acids, BioMarine extract, skin-firming peptides, and lentil extract, this is a water-gel serum that treats your skin to deep hydration, providing both a plumping and smoothing effect with a satin finish.
Tip #2: Upgrade your moisturizer without fear! There are a lot of products out there that provide great moisturization, but they can leave the skin looking shiny or even greasy. For a lot of people, including people who tend to have oily skin, they may end up sacrificing the hydration of their skin so they avoid that risk.
- This is why Dr. Dendy loves the new La Roche Posay Toleraine Double Repair Matte Moisturizer, a lightweight gel moisturizer that is formulated with a high concentration of La Roche-Posay prebiotic thermal water, ceramide-3, niacinamide, and glycerin to help restore healthy-looking skin. It quickly absorbs into skin, providing a unique double-action: all-day hydration without the shine and skin barrier repair after 1 hour.
Tip #3: Switch to less irritating products. If you’ve ever talked to a dermatologist, you have probably heard them extol the virtues of retinol--retinol increases skin cell production, helps unclog pores, exfoliates your skin, increases collagen production - the list goes on and on. The downside is retinol can be irritating and dehydrating, which can be exacerbated in wintery conditions.
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- The good news is you can get all of these great benefits from an ingredient called bakuchiol! One option is the Skin By Blair Bakuchiol, which is a lightweight serum you can use before you apply your nighttime moisturizer. This brand is from the South: Blair is a Charlotte, NC-based skin expert whose clinic has a years-long waitlist for new patients.
Tip #4: Hydrate from the inside out. Hydration 101 is to drink more water. Hydration 201 is to supplement your hyaluronic acid.
- We just talked about how great hyaluronic acid is when applied topically. The Now Solutions Hydration Rescue is an affordable vegan supplement that can help support healthy skin moisture and helps maintain youthful looking skin.
Tip #5: Save your scalp! In my office, I see a lot of patients coming in with scalp issues in the winter months. I think it’s easy to forget, but the scalp is skin, too and is just as prone to dryness as the rest of our body.
- If you’re experiencing flakiness or general dryness of the scalp, use a product that will gently exfoliate and hydrate the scalp. One of Dr. Dendy’s longtime go-tos is the NatureLab Tokyo 2-in-1 Scalp Scrub, which is formulated with sugar instead of traditional salt crystals. This acts as both a scalp scrub and a shampoo, which is a great time saver. It also has hyaluronic acid!
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